Ian's Return
by darkeyes-bleeding-pollard
Summary: An award ceremony brings an old face to Coal Hill. Author note: This is the first fic I have ever posted online I would like to thank KennyEchelon for reading though and spelling/grammar checking for me :)


It felt strange to be going back, to where it had all begun many years ago. It had been a great many years since he'd gone back during the day time. There had been the occasional awards night, and other formal events that had brought him back, but those were mostly at night, and in recent years he had needed to step back from some of them. "I'm not as young as I used to be" was often the excuse he gave. The truth: wandering the school without Barbara felt somehow wrong. It always filled him with a sadness, but today he had no choice but to go. So, Ian slowly finished off his cuppa, and then headed out. He lived close enough to walk. That's what he still loved about Coal Hill, everything was in walking distance, even for an old man like himself. It was nice to have everything so close. He had already travelled enough in his youth.

About 20 minutes later he arrived at the school gates. He paused for a second. Things had sure changed since his teaching days. The school had practically been rebuilt several times, but it wasn't just that. The kids had changed too. They all looked so much younger than they did in his day. Many of them had their little bits of technology, and were sharing videos or pictures or whatever with each other before the school day started. Ian knew this sort of thing confused many of his generation, even made some cross, but not Ian. For Ian, such things reminded him of a better time in his life. As he looked around, he noticed much of teaching staff had changed since his last visit. He could spot most of the senior team, who he still meet with regularly at board of governors meeting, which were now as often as not held at Ian's home. A sign of respect to the longest standing members of Coal Hill staff. As for the less senior staff, he could not recognise any faces. He couldn't even make out that young female teacher who had just started at his last visit, she had seemed nice. Ian couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt some sort of a connection with her.

After a few moments, the school bell went. The staff started shepherding the pupils towards the assembly hall, the venue for this morning's event. Shouts of "Phones away please" and "do up that button" started ringing across the yard, over the chatter of the pupils, who were interested and excited about this morning, as many hoped they would finally get to hear more about the newest Coal Hill teacher, who many believed would have the most interesting backstory of any teacher there. Ian chucked to himself at this thought. "If only they knew" he thought. The headteacher spotted Ian and quickly wandered over.

"Do you need a hand at all Mr Chesterton?"

"No thank you Mrs Coburn. I'll be fine, you go ahead" Ian said back.

He was quickly left behind and before long he was the last in the yard, and by the time he made it into the corridor, the last few students were at the far end entering the giant assembly hall. Ian was about half way up the corridor when he heard a sound that made him stop in his tracks and feel about 40 years younger, that sound he loved. For a moment Barbara was stood at his side once again, holding onto his hand, like she did all those years ago when they had waved goodbye to this sound, and the man it brought with it. Ian turned on the spot I noticed the sound was coming from behind a red door. A store room or something. He had no urge to go in and see. His younger self would have done so in a flash, but not him. He was too old for that now. The Doctor wouldn't even recognise him now. Instead he stood there and let the sound wash over him.

A few seconds later the door flow open and out came the young teacher who he had noticed on his last visit.

"I'm late again, how am I late? It's a tim…." She cut off mid-sentence. "Oh hello, Mr Chesterton" she said with a nervous twitch to her voice. "I can explain…." she went to say before noticing the giant smile on his face. "What? What is it?" She said, with her slightly rushed but soft voice she often found escaping her mouth when the Doctor clearly knew something he wasn't sharing.

Ian stood there for a second, with a knowing smile on his face. "Nothing" he said. "Just next time you see him, tell him my name." Clara looked shocked at this. "Now then, shall we go, I'll say you were giving me a hand."

Clara helped Ian up the corridor and into the hall to take their seats. Neither of them saying a word, but both smiling. As they entered the hall, Mrs Coburn started to talk.

"As you know, we are all here today to congratulate Mr Pink, whose Coal Hill Cadets program has just been acknowledged as one of the best such schemes in the country. Now I know Mr Pink may have a much more interesting past than all the teachers here combined, but I do ask that you keep any and all questions solely about the cadet program."

At this, Clara just glanced at Ian and let out a little laugh, which was quickly followed by a glare from Mrs Coburn. Ian just smiled back at her.


End file.
